Propulsion Dynamics Engineer

Impulse Space•Redondo Beach, CA

29d•$120,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Propulsion Dynamics Engineer at Impulse, your core responsibility will be to characterize, analyze, and validate the dynamic behavior and environments of our liquid rocket propulsion systems. You will work closely with propulsion, dynamics, test, and instrumentation teams to evaluate engine test data, develop dynamic environments, support component testing, and improve analytical predictions of propulsion hardware response.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
4+ years of demonstrated experience with structural dynamics, vibration, or dynamic testing of high-performance systems
Proficient with at least one industry-standard structural FEA package (Femap/Patran/NASTRAN, ANSYS, Abaqus, etc.)
Demonstrated experience solving structural dynamics and vibration problems using analytical and numerical methods
Demonstrated experience with time and frequency domain analysis and processing of dynamic test data
Demonstrated proficiency with MATLAB, Python, or similar applications
Working knowledge of dynamic instrumentation and signal processing
Ability to communicate technical challenges, explain rationale and/or resolve concerns

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree (MS / PhD) in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
Experience with liquid rocket engines, propulsion systems, or launch vehicle development
6+ years hands-on experience with dynamic structural testing, including: random vibration, acoustics, sine vibration, sine burst, shock, and modal survey
Strong knowledge of accelerometers, dynamic pressure transducers, strain measurement, data acquisition, signal conditioning, sampling, filtering, and spectral analysis
Experience developing vibration environments from engine, vehicle, or flight test data
Experience developing and correlating system-level finite element models for prediction of dynamic interface loads and component response
Experience characterizing turbomachinery or other rotating machinery excitation and structural response
Experience with propulsion system stability or POGO analysis
Previous experience in a startup or agile development environment

Responsibilities

Analyze dynamic data from engine development, qualification, and flight testing to characterize structural response, identify anomalous behavior, and monitor hardware health
Develop propulsion component vibration environments from engine and flight data for use in structural analysis and qualification testing
Develop and apply engine-level finite element models and forcing functions to predict structural dynamic response, component environments, and interface loads, including modal, harmonic, random vibration, and transient analyses
Analyze and direct dynamic testing of propulsion hardware from pre-test analysis and instrumentation planning through post-test data reduction and model correlation
Develop tools and methods for processing dynamic test data, including time and frequency domain analysis, filtering, spectral analysis, and PSD generation
Support propulsion system stability and POGO analysis through analytical modeling and correlation with test and flight data
Work with instrumentation and test engineers on sensor selection, placement, sampling, and signal conditioning for dynamic measurements
Effectively communicate results to Responsible Engineers and Designers and collaborate on improvements and solutions